Road King Magazine » Nov-2008http://roadking.com Lifestyle, Health & Trucking News for Over-the-Road TruckersMon, 02 Mar 2015 22:41:07 +0000en-UShourly1TA Holiday Gift Extravaganzahttp://roadking.com/uncategorized/ta-holiday-gift-extravaganza/ http://roadking.com/uncategorized/ta-holiday-gift-extravaganza/#commentsSat, 01 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0000http://roadking.com/?p=1197Tis the season — and TA’s Road King Club is feeling jolly and generous. The TA Holiday Gift Extravaganza Sweepstakes, running from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, will give away 10 prizes every day, ranging from a holiday dinner at one of TA’s restaurants to a GPS Navigational System. Each day 10 winners will be randomly selected from all the eligible entries, and notified by email and at the Road King Club Kiosk. Winners will claim their prize certificate at any RoadMile Marker kios…

]]>Tis the season — and TA’s Road King Club is feeling jolly and generous. The TA Holiday Gift Extravaganza Sweepstakes, running from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, will give away 10 prizes every day, ranging from a holiday dinner at one of TA’s restaurants to a GPS Navigational System. Each day 10 winners will be randomly selected from all the eligible entries, and notified by email and at the Road King Club Kiosk. Winners will claim their prize certificate at any RoadMile Marker kiosk and redeem at any participating TA Travel Store. (Certificates expire 30 days after printing, and all winning certificates must be printed by Jan. 30, 2009.)

All it takes is a swipe of your Road King Club card with each qualifying purchase at a TA shop, fuel island*, restaurant or quick-service restaurant.

In addition to the daily prizes, four lucky members will win one of the North Pole Favorite packages — a Sony 37” BRAVIA N Series LCD TV, Outdoor Enthusiast Camping Package with Old Town Canoe, or a $1,500 Iowa 80 Holiday Spending Spree from their online catalog.

It’s possible to win more than once, so keep on swiping your Road King Club card with each qualified purchase.

Open to residents of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., 18 years of age or older who are members of the Road King Club. No purchase necessary to enter or win. For official rules, visit www.tatravelcenters.com

*No fuel entries for sites located in Virginia, Maryland or New Jersey

]]>http://roadking.com/uncategorized/ta-holiday-gift-extravaganza/feed/0Moose on the Loosehttp://roadking.com/uncategorized/moose-on-the-loose/ http://roadking.com/uncategorized/moose-on-the-loose/#commentsSat, 01 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0000http://roadking.com/?p=1176You’d think avoiding an elk or moose wouldn’t be so difficult, considering how large these animals are. Of course, when traveling at night on an interstate, those big lumbering creatures sure can surprise a driver. But the damage and high cost of these collisions can be even more surprising. Marcel Huijser, a research ecologist at the Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University, notes that the average cost to drivers for every deer hit is $6,600. That number jumps …

]]>You’d think avoiding an elk or moose wouldn’t be so difficult, considering how large these animals are. Of course, when traveling at night on an interstate, those big lumbering creatures sure can surprise a driver. But the damage and high cost of these collisions can be even more surprising.

Marcel Huijser, a research ecologist at the Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University, notes that the average cost to drivers for every deer hit is $6,600. That number jumps to $17,000 for elk and a whopping $30,000 for moose. And according to a report prepared by the institute for the National Academies of Science, each year about 200 people are killed in wildlife-related crashes that cost more than $8 billion.

So on an isolated airstrip in Montana, Huijser and other researchers are putting various animal detection systems through their paces. The idea is to alert oncoming traffic of animals about to bound into their path.

“Instead of identifying the most reliable system, we identify how each technology will perform in every location,” says Huijser. That could mean some devices will work great in the desert, but not so well in a blizzard.

Currently there are no mandatory minimums when it comes to animal detection systems among the states, and in the next few months Huijser will make some recommendations to government agencies on what their findings suggest.

“It will be much more constructive to work toward minimum norms, and it will be good to have multiple vendors with multiple choices so we don’t have all of our eggs in one basket,” Huijser says.

Huijser and his associates aren’t the only ones trying to find the best way to avoid a road-kill collision. The U.S. Department of Transportation has created Critter Crossings, a website devoted to helping animals and vehicles coexist a little better by exploring projects that help keep wildlife safe from traffic.

But it is really up to drivers to take the next step once they are alerted by any system, and that means slowing down and being more alert overall.

If all else fails and you end up hitting the creature? If you’re in Tennessee a recent law allows you to go ahead and eat it. So grab the salt shaker. It may be the only meal you have that costs more than $6,000.

]]>http://roadking.com/uncategorized/moose-on-the-loose/feed/0Trying Timeshttp://roadking.com/uncategorized/trying-times/ http://roadking.com/uncategorized/trying-times/#commentsSat, 01 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0000http://roadking.com/?p=1187 When I was a kid, I would look at those big trucks on the road, and I knew then that I wanted to be a driver. At home we had this chair that I used to climb into, holding a pot that was perfect to use as a steering wheel. My dad would ask, “Son, where are you headed today?” And I’d say, “Oh, I’ve got a load I’m taking down to Georgia today.” That’s a boy who was born to drive a truck.And I did. I began my trucking career in 1983 and have h…

When I was a kid, I would look at those big trucks on the road, and I knew then that I wanted to be a driver. At home we had this chair that I used to climb into, holding a pot that was perfect to use as a steering wheel. My dad would ask, “Son, where are you headed today?” And I’d say, “Oh, I’ve got a load I’m taking down to Georgia today.”

That’s a boy who was born to drive a truck.

And I did. I began my trucking career in 1983 and have had a bag packed since.

I was a company driver for 13 years, when I bought a cabover and began the adventure of becoming an owner-operator. Right before I purchased that truck, I found out that I had contracted Hepatitis C. I had a wife and five kids by then, and the next 18 months were tough. There were times I just didn’t think I could do it.

Then I read Proverbs 24:16: “For a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again” and that has been my mission statement ever since.

The medication worked, but my illness was just the beginning of a hard road. In May of 2001, I purchased a brand new Mack. I was riding high until my wife of 12 years told me that she wanted out of our marriage. Soon afterward 9/11 happened. I found myself going through a sort of emotional breakdown and didn’t know how to fix it. I was a trainwreck.

My brand new truck was not holding up either. It had blown two turbos, three injectors, and the head came apart. I began to ask myself why I had given up the security of a company to become an owner-operator. I had one foot in bankruptcy court and one on a banana peel.

I had two choices: give up or get up.

I looked to my family heritage. My dad made eyeglasses and had a reputation as one of the best. My grandfather was a farmer in south Georgia for 50 years and never owned a farm tractor. To feed his family, he plowed 40 acres with a mule. When he couldn’t do it, my grandmother — 5’1” and about 100 pounds — did. When I was 9, my dad died, and my mom was left to raise two boys by herself. She did, plus she got her master’s degree before retiring after 37 years of teaching.

They were my examples. I kept going. Things began to turn for the better. I met my future bride. I saw an opportunity for success with Landstar and signed on with them about five years ago. I told my wife to give me six months to see if I couldn’t get this train back on track, and if not I’d quit. She was 100 percent behind me. That’s all I needed.

Fast forward to the present. Record fuel prices and still, I’m having a banner year. I believe anyone can have success in whatever they do when they have support from their family. My brother, who was a moral support for me when times were bad, is trucking now too. He was burned out on the corporate world and came on as a trainee with me, then we teamed for a while. He had some trouble at first making it work, and because I know the business, I could give him some help. He’s having a banner year too.

Trucking is all I ever wanted to do. I’ve been here for 3.5 million miles and plan on being here for some time.

Tell us how trucking has affected your life and you may be featured in Road King.

]]>http://roadking.com/uncategorized/trying-times/feed/0Fly Boyhttp://roadking.com/uncategorized/fly-boy/ http://roadking.com/uncategorized/fly-boy/#commentsSat, 01 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0000http://roadking.com/?p=1198Some young boys dream of playing for the NFL or driving a race car in the Indy 500. Kent Couch wanted to soar among the clouds. The 48-year-old owner of the Stop and Go gas station in Bent, Ore., has achieved that dream not once, but three times, with the help of a lawn chair and hundreds of balloons. It was a truck driver who first inspired Couch’s pursuits — in 1982, trucker Larry Walters soared over Los Angeles in a lawn chair attached to 45 weather balloons. Walters, who reached…

]]>Some young boys dream of playing for the NFL or driving a race car in the Indy 500. Kent Couch wanted to soar among the clouds.

The 48-year-old owner of the Stop and Go gas station in Bent, Ore., has achieved that dream not once, but three times, with the help of a lawn chair and hundreds of balloons.

It was a truck driver who first inspired Couch’s pursuits — in 1982, trucker Larry Walters soared over Los Angeles in a lawn chair attached to 45 weather balloons. Walters, who reached a height more than three miles above land was later fined by the FAA after air traffic controllers at Long Beach airport reported him.

Couch stays closer to the ground by popping balloons with a BB gun when he gets too high. On his first endeavor, in 2006, he popped too many too quickly and had to use a parachute to safely return to the ground. But by his next flight in July 2007, he struck the right balance and successfully traversed 193 miles across Oregon.

On his most recent flight July 5, aided by 150 helium-filled party balloons, Couch specifically aimed to cross state lines. After lift-off at 6:44 a.m., he made it 235 miles to Cambridge, Idaho, near the Snake River. At his fastest, Couch estimates he was traveling 49 miles an hour, and the flight took just over nine hours.

Six vehicles followed closely under Couch, including medical personnel in case of emergency. The ground crew reached Couch shortly after he landed in a field, where he was greeted by excited townspeople, one of whom handed him an ice-cold beer.

“If I had the time and money and people, I’d do this every weekend,” Couch told the Associated Press. “Things just look different from up there.”

]]>http://roadking.com/uncategorized/fly-boy/feed/0The Songshttp://roadking.com/uncategorized/the-songs/ http://roadking.com/uncategorized/the-songs/#commentsSat, 01 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0000http://roadking.com/?p=1177Over the last decade, no one has better represented the working man on the radio than Trace Adkins. Here’s just a sampling of his lyrics: I grew up on a working man's wageBlood, sweat and tears on every dollar he madeFor the little he earned there was so much he gaveAnd I hope I am worthy of a working man's wage— “Working Man’s Wage,” 1999

]]>Over the last decade, no one has better represented the working man on the radio than Trace Adkins. Here’s just a sampling of his lyrics:

I grew up on a working man’s wageBlood, sweat and tears on every dollar he madeFor the little he earned there was so much he gaveAnd I hope I am worthy of a working man’s wage— “Working Man’s Wage,” 1999

This gettin up early, pulling double shifts,Gonna make an old man of me long before I ever get rich.But I’m tryin— “I’m Tryin’,” 2001

She’s got her leg up high on the bumper of my big black Mack truckWith a smoke stack pointed towards the skyAnd mud flaps, you know the kind— “Chrome,” 2003

Cold beer, hot wingsWranglers, Skoal ringGet just what you seeGun rack, ball capDon’t take no crapAin’t a pretty boy-toyI’ll rock you steadyRough and ready— “Rough and Ready,” 2004 He said, “I’m sorry but I’ve never been crazy’bout that twang and trains and hillbilly thingWhat ever made you want to sing stuff like that?”I just looked at him and laughed and saidCause it’s songs about me— “Songs About Me,” 2005

Back across the AppalachiansBlowing into LouisvilleLove to feel the big wheels turningAlways have and always will— “Ride,” 2006

]]>http://roadking.com/uncategorized/the-songs/feed/0Grunt Workhttp://roadking.com/uncategorized/grunt-work/ http://roadking.com/uncategorized/grunt-work/#commentsSat, 01 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0000http://roadking.com/?p=1188The way Mike Johnston figures it, you can wander into to any public gym and watch guys (yawn) lift weights. But where can you see someone hoist a car or bench-press a refrigerator? Or toss a 400-pound rock? Or tug a truck? Or jog with a log? Where indeed? Johnston’s American Strongman Competition, that’s where. Founded in 2004, the ASC emulates an English Strongman version that began in 1977. The oddball events were carried on the BBC and eventually picked up by U.S. television.&ld…

]]>The way Mike Johnston figures it, you can wander into to any public gym and watch guys (yawn) lift weights.

But where can you see someone hoist a car or bench-press a refrigerator? Or toss a 400-pound rock? Or tug a truck? Or jog with a log?

Where indeed?

Johnston’s American Strongman Competition, that’s where. Founded in 2004, the ASC emulates an English Strongman version that began in 1977. The oddball events were carried on the BBC and eventually picked up by U.S. television.

“In the mid-1990s, ESPN ran a lot of the old Strongman footage, and it took off from there,” says Johnston, vice president of marketing and athletic development for the St. Louis-based organization. Dione Wessels, who has been promoting Strongman events for more than six years, serves as president.

“We are very emphatic that this is a sport, featuring legitimate athletes,” Johnston says, “but obviously there’s also an element of showmanship.We aren’t interested in another routine strength competition.”

“The first time I saw Strongman on TV, some guy was running down the street with a refrigerator on his back, and I thought, ‘These guys are freakin’ crazy’ — and now I’m one of them,” says Nick Brugal, a 23-year-old policeman in Bartlett, Tenn. Brugal competes in five to six Strongman events a year — some as far away as the Ukraine — and says he thrives on the challenge.

“I was a wrestler in college and a former bodybuilder,” he says. “But who wants to be a bodybuilder and stand up there on the stage in your underwear? This is a lot more fun.”

The Strongman disciplines range from lifting refrigerators to pulling heavy trucks from a standing start. There’s also the popular automobile lift and a log run, which involves running with a 420-pound log on the shoulder.

Don’t forget the Atlas Stone, a giant chunk weighing as much as 450 pounds, which the competitor lifts and throws.

“One of the popular events is Conan’s Wheel,” Johnston says. “You remember the movie Conan the Barbarian? That’s where the name comes from.” The competitor trudges around and around a sundial-shaped wheel carrying an object — say, a motorcycle — over his head.

There’s also the Giant Chain Drag, Steel Beam Run and the Timber Carry. “I like the log press,” says Brugal, “but I hate the anvil carry; I can never seem to get a good grip.”

Such feats of brute strength date back centuries. Early European Strongmen used to meet on the moor to lift giant logs and hurl huge stones. They didn’t have barbells in those days and had to make do with whatever was handy. From that evolved lifting refrigerators and pulling trucks.

Johnston says that every year hundreds of aspiring Strongmen (and Strongwomen) turn out in local and regional meets around the country, hoping to advance to the nationals. Why? For gold and glory, naturally.

“I’ve always been interested in strength competition,” says Pfister, a 6-6, 370-pound energy company spokesman from West Virginia. “I’d seen the Strongman events on television and decided to give it a try to see how I could do.”

Pfister says, “All the events are hard, but the toughest for me is the truck pull.” The boulder lift isn’t a piece of cake either, he adds.

The 2006 title was the crowning achievement for Pfister after eight years of competition. During that decade, in addition to finishing first, Pfister also posted several 3rd and 4th-places.

At 37, he plans to try again.

“I stay in shape,” he says. “I can still compete.”

Pfister says TV coverage has raised awareness of the Strongman competitions. “We get a lot more recognition than we used to,” he says. “But I won’t say that we’re ‘celebrities’ — I don’t get stopped on the street or anything like that.”

Still, Pfister says winning the title changed his life because it led to his introduction to some people. “Those introductions led to my present job. So from that standpoint you could say that yes, in my case it was a big deal. But in general it doesn’t lead to a whole lot of attention.

“If you’re not happy before you win the Strongman title, you probably won’t be happy after you win it. It’s just something that’s fun and challenging and not a lot of people can say they’ve done it. That’s good enough for me.”

Who’s That Hercules?Keeping your Strongmen straight is not easy.

The American Strongman Corporation (ASC) is the governing body for the sport in America and works with a number of international organizations.

North American Strongman Inc. (NAS) is the amateur division and the governing body for the sport of amateur strongman in America.

World’s Strongest Man (WSM) is a TV contest that airs in December on ESPN, but is not affiliated with any strongman organization.

Where do the profits come from?

“Sponsorships,” says Mike Johnston, VP/American Strongman. “We work to leverage our product/fan base to provide an interactive forum for companies. Our entry fees are limited, and generally at events we do not get a share of the gate. However, we are often able to retain a talent fee.”

]]>http://roadking.com/uncategorized/grunt-work/feed/1A Muscular Returnhttp://roadking.com/uncategorized/a-muscular-return/ http://roadking.com/uncategorized/a-muscular-return/#commentsSat, 01 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0000http://roadking.com/?p=1178I hated to give it back. I borrowed an orange 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 version from Dodge for a test drive. It’s a retro-look, thoroughly modern version of the two-door “Pony Car” sensation first introduced in 1970. The car definitely has some faults . . . but who cares? It’s low, and hard for an old-timer like me to get into . . . but who cares? The brakes coat the wheels with brake dust. The “C-pillar” (supporting the roof) is so wide it makes backing ou…

I borrowed an orange 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 version from Dodge for a test drive. It’s a retro-look, thoroughly modern version of the two-door “Pony Car” sensation first introduced in 1970.

The car definitely has some faults . . . but who cares?

It’s low, and hard for an old-timer like me to get into . . . but who cares? The brakes coat the wheels with brake dust. The “C-pillar” (supporting the roof) is so wide it makes backing out of parking spaces difficult. The rear seat is cramped. I’m sure that if I had it a few more days, I’d find other problems . . . but who cares? On balance, this is one of the most enjoyable vehicles I’ve ever tested.

1970 Challenger

Remember whenThe original Challenger was developed in the days when muscle cars (mid-size and compact cars with big-bore high-powered engines) had become the icons of the automotive scene and “big power” made its way down to smaller, lighter, more nimble cars. The Challenger was a response to Ford’s Mustang and GM’s Camaro and Firebird.

Engine options included the 383 cubic inch “wedge head” and Chrysler’s ultimate racing engine, the 426 Hemi. Major race sanctioning groups, NASCAR for stock cars and the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) for road racing, established 7-liter (427 cu-in) limits for engines. Chrysler’s came in just under that. It produced far more than the advertised 425 horsepower and won many drag races, both sanctioned and on the street.

Just a few years after its introduction, the first oil crisis occurred when the OPEC nations cut deliveries to the West. That was after the Arab-Israeli War in 1973. With gasoline truly scarce, with alternate days for filling up, with fuel purchases often limited to five gallons, the general public turned away from high-powered, gas-guzzling cars and started downsizing. As a result, Detroit downplayed power and performance. The era of muscle cars had ended, not to return for a generation.

The Challenger never had time to establish its credentials, but buyers loved its looks, its styling details and its legendary Chrysler engineering. The first day the new Challenger went on sale, it seemed that plenty of motor heads were waiting for its return — 4,300 people bought it sight unseen.

Back to the presentWhen you sit in the 2009 Challenger and adjust the seat and wheel, you feel you’re fitting it like a suit. The controls all fall easily to hand, making the car feel like an extension of your body.

When I turned the engine on, I heard the old, familiar throaty rumble of a big, powerful muscle car V8 from four decades ago. It was like a symphony to this motor head’s ears.

The SRT8 package is built around a 6.1 liter Hemi (hemispherical combustion chambers) V8 engine that cranks out 425 horsepower. It’s mated to a 5-speed AutoStick transmission that can be shifted like a manual but has safety overrides so you won’t blow up your engine.

To put this power to the ground and provide instant response to turning and braking, the SRT8 carries extremely wide, low profile 245/45ZR20 tires on 5-spoke alloy wheels, classically styled and reminiscent of the ’60s and ’70s.

The brake dust mentioned earlier comes from massive 14.1-inch front and 13.8-in rear Brembo racing brakes. Most cars have 10- or 11-in brakes. Stopping is, if anything, more important than accelerating, and the Challenger brought me down from 60 and 70 mph smoothly and rapidly, time after time. (Yes, on village streets. “No, officer, I didn’t know how fast I was going.”)

Tying it all together, the suspension provided a comfortable but stable ride. Body lean was almost non-existent. As good as the brakes are, there was no noticeable nosedive. Full-throttle acceleration was smooth and steady, like a long burning rocket rather than a quick boot in the butt. On a twisty country road, the Challenger’s manners are superb. It corners, accelerates and slows like a high performance GT.

Not for the shyOne word of caution; if you don’t like public attention, don’t drive the new Dodge Challenger.

My wife and I took a long weekend to visit outlet malls in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. The trunk, by the way, is humongous, with room for two large suitcases, my CPAP machine, my computer bag and all her bargains from the mall.

Wherever we went, the car drew attention. People gave us the “thumbs-up” sign at traffic lights and on the road. Drivers maneuvered around us to get a better look. Wherever we parked, people gathered around the car. Some took pictures with it, while fellow motor heads wanted to see the Hemi under the hood.

You don’t need to get the 425 hp version with the bold, broad black anti-glare stripes on the hood. The “lesser” Challengers share the body shell and the same great look. Not everyone needs to do 0 to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds or stop from 60 mph in only 115 feet. Dodge expects the bulk of Challenger sales to be in R/T trim, with a 5.7 liter, 375 hp engine. It’s just slightly slower than the SRT8, hitting 60 in just under six seconds and stopping from 126 feet. Those are still impressive numbers. There is also a 3.5-liter V6 producing a “mere” 250 hp, more than the old V8 gave during the original Challenger’s last years.

Prices start under $22,000 for the V6 with its 4-speed auto transmission. That runs up to about $40,000 for an SRT8, with so much standard equipment that its only options are a sun roof and a navigation system.

If you’re into cars, or just want a vehicle that transports you well and seems to anticipate whatever you want it to do, you’ll love the Challenger. If you’re concerned about the gas pump, the 250 hp V6 model gets 14 mpg city/22 mpg highway — competitive mileage for this type of car. If you’re going for the performance of the 425 hp engine, you’ll pay at the pump, but not as much as you’d think. EPA’s new, more realistic estimates for the Challenger are 13 mpg city/19 mpg highway.

But until the newness wears off, city mileage may be lower. Why? Because you’ll have to inch your way through the crowds of eager admirers.

]]>http://roadking.com/uncategorized/a-muscular-return/feed/0Iowa's Big Gamehttp://roadking.com/uncategorized/iowa-s-big-game/ http://roadking.com/uncategorized/iowa-s-big-game/#commentsSat, 01 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0000http://roadking.com/?p=1189The soft patter of rain on the roof of my pop-up blind might have lulled me into a slumber if it wasn’t for the deer 50 yards in front of me. I was guarding the edge of a cornfield in southern Iowa, a Knight KP1 muzzleloader laid across my knees and visions of giant whitetail bucks pranced through my mind. The thermometer was plummeting, the rain was turning to ice, and the blind I was in looked more like an igloo than a camouflage dome. This was no place to sleep.Iowa has earned a…

]]>blind might have lulled me into a slumber if it wasn’t for the deer 50 yards in front of me. I was guarding the edge of a cornfield in southern Iowa, a Knight KP1 muzzleloader laid across my knees and visions of giant whitetail bucks pranced through my mind. The thermometer was plummeting, the rain was turning to ice, and the blind I was in looked more like an igloo than a camouflage dome. This was no place to sleep.

Iowa has earned a spot among fanatical deer hunters as one of the very best places to cross paths with a giant buck. It’s become a must-do destination for anyone who likes to chase big deer, with reports of monster bucks coming in almost daily throughout November and December. What is it about Iowa that produces so many eye-popping whitetails each season? Simple: A variety of factors have created a perfect storm of deer management. Hunting pressure is tightly regulated and drawing a license for some regions of this state is like scratching off a winning lottery ticket. The entire state is an endless grocery store of deer food. Acre upon acre of corn stretches from one end of Iowa to another, and the natural forage only adds to the endless buffet. Also, hunters are restricted to either shotguns or muzzleloaders, which helps reduce the harvest, and they can only take one buck a year. “That really makes people think twice about pulling the trigger on a smaller buck,” said Josh Cobb, an outfitter from southern Iowa. “When you know a huge buck could step out into the field at any minute, it’s pretty easy to hold off and wait for a big one instead of shooting the first buck you see.”

Cobb’s basement walls serve as a museum of sorts, a testament to the incredible deer hunting right out his front door. Shoulder mounts of heavy-antlered whitetails line the paneling, and shed antlers he picks up in the spring are arranged in decorative piles throughout the downstairs sleeping quarters. Some are as thick as a man’s wrist with a half-dozen tines branching off the sweeping main beam. The deer I’m watching on the first morning of the hunt, however, doesn’t have antlers worthy of Cobb’s walls. It’s a small one, but it turns out to be one of many young bucks and dozens of does I see over four days of watching field edges and wood lots.

As the week progresses, the weather changes from below freezing to near-zero temperatures. A steady north wind finds every spot of bare skin on my body, and I shiver as I sit even with a bundle of clothes and a pile of disposable warmers placed on my neck, hands, feet and kidneys. I don’t mind; I know what could be in store if I just stay put for a little longer. The big bucks seem to be laying low, maybe waiting for a break in the weather before getting up and moving around during the day. To keep things interesting, Cobb decides to make a few pushes through thick cover in an effort to move some deer past my stand.

It works. During one drive, a dozen does saunter over a grass hill, followed by a tremendous buck carrying a tall, wide, 10-point crown on his head. However, I can only watch the deer trot into the wooded creek bottom. The muzzleloading rifle I carry is accurate out to 200 yards or so, but the buck doesn’t come any closer than 400 yards. Other hunters in my group come back to camp with stories of encounters with huge bucks like those in Cobb’s basement. Some fill their tags with the best deer of their lives; others only catch fleeting glimpses of giants gliding through thick brush or far across a vast cornfield. Hunting, even in Iowa’s legendary buck factory with a reputable outfitter like Cobb, is never a slam-dunk. That’s why it’s so appealing and so fun.

As daylight fades to darkness on the final day, I can only look forward to the next season. The small bucks I see each day will be there next year, and thanks to Iowa’s deer management efforts they’ll be bigger, much bigger.

]]>http://roadking.com/uncategorized/iowa-s-big-game/feed/1Color Me Safehttp://roadking.com/uncategorized/color-me-safe/ http://roadking.com/uncategorized/color-me-safe/#commentsSat, 01 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0000http://roadking.com/?p=1179With safety belt use mandatory in most states and a federal requirement for commercial vehicle drivers, it’s surprising that so many truckers still refuse to buckle up. Many companies are taking steps to encourage use. Take the spread of bright orange or green high visibility seat belts. Available from Freightliner, Kenworth, Mack, Peterbilt, Sterling and Volvo, the colorful belts from LifeGuard Technologies let anyone see that a driver is strapped in.“From a fleet’s standpoi…

]]>With safety belt use mandatory in most states and a federal requirement for commercial vehicle drivers, it’s surprising that so many truckers still refuse to buckle up. Many companies are taking steps to encourage use. Take the spread of bright orange or green high visibility seat belts. Available from Freightliner, Kenworth, Mack, Peterbilt, Sterling and Volvo, the colorful belts from LifeGuard Technologies let anyone see that a driver is strapped in.

“From a fleet’s standpoint, the high visibility belts send a message to drivers that they care about compliance with seat belt laws,” says Kevin Tribbett, a spokesman for LifeGuard. “But there is a benefit to owner-operators too, in that law enforcement can immediately recognize that they are wearing their belt.”

For those who ignore their seat belts because of discomfort, the company has put together a campaign — “Click, Tug and Snug” available at www.clicktugsnug.com — to show drivers how to adjust a belt to be safe and comfortable.

“The biggest complaints that drivers have is that they don’t like the tension on their torso and they are bothered by the belt rubbing their shoulder,” says Tribbett. “Frankly, seat belt adjustment is not something that a lot of drivers get training on, and the younger driving population may not be aware that they can make the belt comfortable for themselves.”

nd if an appeal to drivers’ brains won’t work, a tug on their hearts might. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Belt Partnership asked kids to submit posters encouraging drivers to “Be Ready, Be Buckled.” Sarah O’Dell, of Oklahoma, the young daughter of a truck driver, won with her drawing and important message: “Us kids need our mommies and daddies alive when the trip is done!”

]]>http://roadking.com/uncategorized/color-me-safe/feed/0Audiobookshttp://roadking.com/uncategorized/audiobooks-2/ http://roadking.com/uncategorized/audiobooks-2/#commentsSat, 01 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0000http://roadking.com/?p=1190Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne SanctionBy Eric Van LustbaderRead by Jeremy Davidson15 CDs 18 hours$49.98It’s another twisty tale of identity confusion with the unflappable Jason Bourne, former intelligence agent, chasing down bad guys. And all the bad guys are here: Islamic terrorists, evil Russians and even some WW II Nazis. They have a big plot to destroy something major in the U.S. Bourne gets drawn in to stop it. Working against him on the other side is a man who seems like h…

It’s another twisty tale of identity confusion with the unflappable Jason Bourne, former intelligence agent, chasing down bad guys. And all the bad guys are here: Islamic terrorists, evil Russians and even some WW II Nazis. They have a big plot to destroy something major in the U.S. Bourne gets drawn in to stop it. Working against him on the other side is a man who seems like his evil twin — equally indestructible, sly and deadly. But where Bourne is haunted by a past he can’t fully remember, his nemesis is driven by a past he can’t forget.

It’s a lot of story, leaving the listener guessing about who’s fighting for good, who for evil, who will betray who and who will end up dead. But it’s the action scenes that stand out — fighting and chasing sequences so vividly written that each bone-cracking punch and knife-avoiding feint can be seen and felt by listeners as if they were watching a film rather than listening to an audiobook.Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We DoBy Tom VanderbiltRead by David Slavin5 CDs 6 hours (abridged version)$29.95

This could well be the perfect audiobook to pop in while driving. Listen to the psychology behind merging, as you see it happening right in front of you. Ponder the paradoxes of congested highways. Why is it that more roads is not the answer — why could it, in fact, be part of the problem? Why does everyone believe they are superb drivers, and why are they wrong? (Yes, maybe even you.) And what can we learn about traffic patterns by watching ants?

Author Tom Vanderbilt has explored every traffic study available, talked to the experts and then translated a lot of dry statistics into a breezy and entertaining, information-packed audiobook.

An unabridged audiobook — 11 CDs/13 hrs — is available at libraries.

The Last LectureRandy Pausch with Jeffrey ZaslowRead by Erik Singer4 CDs, 4.5 hours$21.95

Pre-YouTube, Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch might never have become a celebrity. Luckily, after he delivered his “Last Lecture” in September 2007, after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, his moving speech on realizing childhood dreams was uploaded to the Web and ultimately touched millions.

Before his death in July, Pausch teamed with New York Times journalist Jeffrey Zaslow to turn his speech into a book. The Last Lecture contains expanded versions of many of the lecture’s anecdotes about his career and upbringing. But he also shares more personal stories, such as the eventful hot-air balloon ride he and wife Jai took on their wedding day, how he coped with his diagnosis, and what the reaction to his lecture meant to him.

What ultimately makes The Last Lecture so compelling is that, while Pausch’s situation is unbearably sad, the story he tells isn’t.

Whether he’s describing how it felt to realize his own childhood dream of experiencing zero gravity, or imparting sly advice like “When there’s an elephant in the room, introduce him,” his joy and good humor is palpable. Pausch’s life may have been shorter than many, but he lived it more fully than most.